Traction device for tractor wheels



June 2, 1925.

C. L. CURTIS TRACTION DEVICE FOR TRACTOR WHEELS Filed Jan. 5. 1923 "ixw gm J ATTORNEY \mTNESS Haw-dd. LKQn Patented June 2, 1925.

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EAT-BENT CLAYTON L; CURTIS; OF"SOUTH"OTSEIJIC, NEW YORK, ASS IGNCRLOFI'ONE HALF TO SHERMAN 'AI'JTEBQ O'F ITIHIACA; N'EW.'YQRK' TRACTION DZEZVTCEFOR TRACTOR WHEELS.

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Be itknownsthat I, ',CLAY-'ro'N- L. CURTIS, a citizen of; the United States of America, of i SouthrOtselic, in the conntyvof (Shenango, i113: the: btateof New-:- York, have in-,- vented new: and: useful? Improvements? in Traction Devices for Tractor Wheels, of which: ill-1 81fQ-lilOWl11g3 tal EI1 in. connection with the: accompanying;drawings; i is a. full, clear,"and exaet:description,

l hisiginventionrelates to a--. traction device for "tiTaCEOIT wheels and: analagous-uses ini-whlich: it, is desired-to secure: a; firmer 1 sup iport for. revolublei chains on wheels 'travela ing, alongeandj upon -more 1-017 less-soft ground;

surfaces. a

The main object of finy; presentin-iention; is to? centrallysupport tract-ion plateiuponi the periphery; of ithe rim :ofthe: wheel or revolubleiinember' in]; such manner thatiitby and between: apainof: brackets;- onwtherim v and substantially midavayu between its endsso as tocbetter, resistnot-only theein eun'iferential but; alsow thou diagonal and;

lateral thrusts incidental :to: the use of deversely with .therperiphery of rtl'lBiWlIBOl: as-

d iiierent 1 portions of the lengtlrthereof:are

brought into contact with the 1g 4'Ol ln'dAVl1e1'3 by each plate; may, constitute as relatively short track: section. to support the load as the vehicle-is.-n1oved:'alongethe ground.

Another object is to providereaclr:plate and its supporting bracketsAvithroutwardly projecting spurs orzrribs .forrtraction purposes in which the ribs of the brackets. are of greater radial projection than those of the plate so as to bear the greater part of the traction-a] load by reason of their stronger securement to the rim of the wheel and thereby to relieve the plate from a con siderable portion of the tractional load and permit it to function more particularly as a supporting medium.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly, in section, of a portion of a tractor wheel rim vicesiof thisicharaoter and zit-the san'ie time to enable the plateito,oontact flatwise trans-i and one of my improved traetion devices mounted" thereon... V Figure, 2, is an. enlarged. inverted perspec: tive view of!oneof-thedetaehed traction plates Figure 3, is an enlarged-w transverse see-1 tional iViBW taken on,-line-3+3,- I*lignre 1,

Figure 4 is. a,perspectivewiew of; one of the detached plate supporting brackets! In; order .1 that this: invention may beseleare lyn understood; Iihave shown aiportionnot a tractor, wheel. --1r-- and one-.- ofi the traction devices appliedthereto rand}v cons sisting of" aHpai-r. of'bracketsi --2:- and a traction plate-- 31+. g V r The brackets 1-2sare similar, in corn St/PuCtlOHm and-- interchangeable? and are. secured by b OlLS 4:f-" to-.-the-- periphery 0t tl16 ;I'll11-r-1 in: t-ransve1 -=,selyv spaced trela tioniforpreceiving the plate. between way betweenatheii r en ds -w-itl iiradiallmelone gated slots 5 inI transverse:;a1ine1nent fo-n receiving;trunnionsy on: opposite (dQQ-SpO HthlE PlQt-B a y p The. inner faces-of Ithe braeketsairecurvech longitudinally to :conforniirto' the curvatuie of, the periphery of therim, -1;, -the' boltsl:- ofgeach bracket being disposed, at ops: posit-e sidesao-fi'the slot -5=.*-.

These" brackets are also; provided witho utwardly proj acting; tr-a-n sverse ribs 7 --7* in; radial ali-neinent with slots 1 5:-- for tractional en gagement. with the surface of. the 4 grgmnd and are preferably of 1 greaterradial' Fdeptli than {similar tractional ribs was 8+ on thci outer-facepf thetplate -37- so as-totbear Ithe-grcateraponti on, of the tractional pleads by; reason; of? their. firmer. so: eurement tothe rim; of the wheel.-.

VThe trunnions 6- are preferably formed integral with the plate 3- sub stantially midway between the opposite ends thereof, said plate being of considerably greater length than the brackets -2- and having theintermediate portions of its opposite longitudinal edges recessed at -9 for receiving said brackets.

V The length of these recesses 9 are slightly greater than the lengths of the brackets to permit the plate to rock longitudinally without friction with said brackets but the transverse widths of the recesses are substantially equal to the width of the brackets and tothe lengths of the edge to edge thereof, but of less radial depth than the ribs 7- on the brackets,

the object of which is to bring the greater portion of the tractional load upon the stronger ribs -7- while the ribs 8 are taking part of the tractional load.

A similar transverse rib -11' is cast integral with the plate 3 midway between the ribs 101 to further assist in. carrying the tractional load although of slightly less radial depth than the ribs 10 said transvers ribs-being braced by a series of lengthwise ribs -12.

The inner face of the plate'-8- is substantially .flat for rolling or rocking engagement with the periphery of the rim 1, said rocking motion being permitted by the radial sliding movement of its trunnions -6 in the radially elongated slots '5 while the opposit walls of the slots serve to hold the plate against endwise displacement relatively to the brackets.

The entire traction device may be assembled on the wheel by-si'mply supporting the trunnions in the slots of the brackets and then clamping the brackets by means of the bolts to thejrim of the wheel, the device being then ready for use during which the end of the plate facing the direction opposite that of the movement of the wheel will first be brought into engagement with the ground thereby forcing that end against the rim of the wheel and producing a corresponding outward movement of the trunnions 6-'along the slot -5- so that as the wheel continues to move it will ride along the plate toward the opposite end thereby producing a reverse rocking movement of the plate about the axis of the trun nions 6 until said' opposite end is brought into engagement with the periphery of the run, the spurs or transverse ribs 7 and 8 serving to hold the plate against longitudinal slipping on the ground while the upper surface constitues a relatively'short track along which the wheel may travel, it being understood that the major portion of the tractional load will always be borne by the ribs 7 of the brackets which are firmly secured to the rim of the wheel while the other cross ribs and 1- assist materially in soft earth in holding the plate against longitudinal slipping movement and still permitting it to rock freely on the periphery of the rim to conform to the rolling motion of the wheel.

I claim: 1

1. A traction device for vehicle wheels comprising a traction plate having a flat inner face and the opposite edges of its central portion recessed and provided with laterally projecting trunnions midway be tween its ends, brackets arranged in the recesses and provided with radial slots open at their inner ends for receiving said trunnions, and means for clamping the brackets to the periphery of the wheel rim with the open ends of the slots acent said periphery to hold the plate in operative position.

2. A traction device for vehicle wheels comprising. a traction'plate having a' flat inner face and the opposite edges of its central portionrecessed and provided with laterally projecting trunnions midway between'its ends, brackets arranged in the recesses and provided with radial slots open at their inner ends for receiving said trunnions, and means for clamping the brackets to the periphery of the wheel rim with the open ends of the slot adjacent said periphery to hold th'e'plate inoperative position, said brackets having outwardly projecting traction ribs in radial alinement with said slots and forming the outer walls thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my handthis 23rd day of December 1922.

CLAYTON L. CURTIS.

Witnesses: 7 1

FRANK E. COX, 7 HERBERT A. WEBB.

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